PET RABBITS, CAVIES, AND MICE. g 



protects the rabbits from cats, rats, or similar animals. 

 The bedding of rabbits of any breed is a very important 

 matter, and comes under the category of housing. 

 Pitch-pine sawdust is best for scattering on the floors of 

 hutches, and if that is not procurable, then any other 

 kind of white sawdust will do. The object of this is 

 sweetness and dryness. Sawdust has deodorent qualities, 

 and it is dry. Further, it absorbs the moisture of urine, 

 etc., and keeps rabbits dry footed and clean coated. We 

 may call attention to a very important matter here, as 

 regards exhibition varieties. If rabbits are allowed to 

 move about in the moisture of their own creating, the 

 fur at the hocks and haunches will gradually turn 

 brown or rusty, and this is a great fault in the show pen. 

 Sawdust goes far to prevent this. And further, it is 

 easier to clean rabbit hutches out when the floors are 

 kept covered with sawdust bedding. The cleaning pro- 

 cess should be engaged in at least once a week. Twice 

 would be better. And in the season when there is a 

 plentiful supply of succulent green food, we keep a suit- 

 able shovel and take out the urine-saturated sawdust 

 every morning. It spells comfort to the animals and 

 sweeter surroundings to those who come in contact with 

 the hutches. It is possible, with the use of sawdust 

 bedding, care, and attention, to keep many rabbits so 

 that visitors could not detect their presence. Over the 

 sawdust, in winter, hay may be placed, or straw for the 

 long-coated breeds. Hay will not do for these latter; 

 it entangles in their fur and mats it. In providing 

 boxes for hutches, it will give satisfaction to the eye if, 

 when several are in use, they are all selected of the same 

 size and pattern. Uniformity (although we humbly 

 confess we did not practice it, but felt that the quality 

 of the stock inside the hutches was of more importance 

 than the outside appearance of the boxes) is of consider- 

 able effect to the visitor. We have had more than one, 

 or one dozen, prize winners housed in sugar boxes, fitted 

 up by the expenditure of a little labour. We have, 

 on the other hand, seen almost palatial rabbitries, the 

 floors of which have been almost holy ground to their 

 owners, and even then have cast our thoughts back to 

 the contents of our sugar boxes, and been easy in mind 

 as to results at the coming shows. For all that, we never 

 discourage the expenditure of a little money, or of 



